Of Things Unknown About Riza Hawkeye
by Athena's Heart
Summary: Roy finds himself at Riza's home during a snow storm, and the pair are stuck after the snow builds up and blocks the door out. Roy finds things about his lieutenant that he should have known and couldn't have figured out.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I just typed this up, and I think its okay. Its probably the longest story I've ever written, including my multi chaps as I have a tendency to stop updating them…Oh well. I'll get to it.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

After a good time with his best friend at the diner they frequented, Roy Mustang was in a pretty good mood. Despite the snow falling rapidly, he decided to go for a walk. With no destination and his overly cheery attitude, a lot of people would probably assume he was drunk, again. However, his spirits were always a bit higher around the holidays and he didn't try to drink away his sorrows. Though he'd never admit it, he tried to work harder and drink less for his lieutenant as something of a thank you for her hard work.

He'd been walking for quite a while, and snow that had barely covered the ground was up to his ankles. The cold seeped into his shoes and seemed to wake him from his daze. Muttering a few choice curse words, he glanced around to see where he was. A few feet away, he saw a side street off the road he was on. 'Magnolia Drive?' he thought to himself, 'Why does that sound familiar?'

He quickly forgot about his freezing feet as he turned down Magnolia Drive, still trying to figure out where he had heard the name before. Glancing up, he noticed how, to put it bluntly, boring the houses were. Each was relatively small with a garage and a few meters of lawn in he front and back.

By the time he got to the dead end, he still couldn't remember where he heard that name. He was snapped out of his musings by barking, followed by a voice.

"Hayate!" a woman's voice yelled.

His head snapped up right as a black and white pup jumped at him. He stumbled slightly before he regained his balance. He smiled as the dog licked at his face. The way her face flushed, he could tell she hadn't recognized him through the snow.

"Hayate!" she exclaimed, running through the snow. "I am so sorry sir! Normally he's better behaved!" She was looking down after she took back the dog.

He smiled, seeing her flushed for the first time in ages. "Its no problem, Riza," he said.

Her eyes snapped up as she recognized the voice. "Sir!" she exclaimed, shifting Hayate to her left arm so she could salute him.

He quickly waved it away, "Its no problem. And it was no problem at all," he said looking her up and down. She was wearing a light blue blouse and khakis. "Where are you shoes!?!" he exclaimed.

A single eyebrow rose almost in question, "Shoes weren't my first priority, sir. I had to make sure Hayate didn't get lost,". She paused a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Are you drunk?" she asked noticing how wet he looked. He was soaked from head to toe and his face was red.

"No, I was out with Hughes," he said noncommittally, his mind wandering.

She glanced at her watch, "Sir, down you normally go out with him at 5:00? It's 7:30."

He nodded wordlessly, not really paying attention until he saw her pull a face. "What?"

She shook her head slightly and made her way back to her house. "Come on, Colonel!" she called over her shoulder with a slight smile.

Seeing her smile made him smile and he ran through the snow to catch up to her. When he reached the door, Riza quickly guided him into the house. She glanced around before closing the door behind her.

As the warm air hit him, he realized how cold he was. His feet were freezing and his shoes sloshed with water. His jacket was soaked through and his hair was dripping with melted snow.

"Stay here a moment," she said putting Hayate down. "I'm gonna grab a towel for you," she continued, walking down the hall in front of them and taking the second door on the right.

He looked around the small home. The front door led directly into the living room. Directly on his right were, what seemed to be, a dining room and a kitchen a little further in. Before he could take in the living room, Riza returned with a towel.

"Take off your shoes and dry yourself as best you can," she handed him the towel and an extra pair of his uniform pants and black tee shirt.

Once she deemed him dry, she spoke again, "Take the third door on the right and shower before you get sick. I'll make us some tea," she said with a small smile heading to the kitchen.

Her bathroom reminded him of the bathroom at Hawkeye manor twenty years ago, which made a lot of sense. There was a sink with a mirror above it, a shower bath, and toilet. He quickly stripped and hopped into the warm shower, enjoying the warmth cascading down his body. What seemed like to soon, he turned off the water and promptly dressed, missing the warmth. After dressing, he stuck his head out of the doorway.

"Riza, where should I put my wet clothes?" he called down the hallway. He jumped slightly as the door opened beside him revealing Riza holding a dishtowel and plate.

"Just lay them in the tub, if you don't mind," she said calmly. Just before the door shut behind her, she finished saying, "And there's no need to yell,"

After following her instructions, he came out to find Hayate sitting outside the kitchen door. "She ban you from the Kitchen, Boy?" he asked softly, patting the small dog.

He gave a sympathetic smile and continued on to the living room once more. The first thing to catch his eye was a very old, framed picture sitting on the table that held a radio. It depicted a much younger Hawkeye Sensei and a woman who, at first glance looked just like Riza. Upon further inspection, he noticed small differences between the two women and realized it must be her mother.

"That's my mother and father at their wedding," came Riza's voice softly, followed by soft footsteps. "It's my favorite picture of them," she said, setting down the tea she'd brought.

He nodded slightly, "They look so happy," he said softly. He couldn't remember Hawkeye Sensei ever looking that happy in the ten years he'd lived with the man.

He put the picture down before surveying the rest of the room. Other than the radio, the couch, and the table, there was a small fireplace and a few bookshelves lining the walls.

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to the fireplace where a few logs rested, giving a sheepish grin. He was the _Flame _Alchemist and didn't much care for any degrees of cold.

She grinned, "Of course not. I know how, temperature sensitive, you are," she said slightly amused.

He scowled before and went to snap, until he realized he didn't have his gloves. They were soaked. He cursed lightly, and turned to see Riza smirking. He stuck out his tongue, which made her laugh. It'd been so long since he heard her laugh; he was determined to do it again. He sat down pouting, which made her give into a loud laugh.

She took pity on him and went to her room, appearing a moment later holding a clean, dry, pair of gloves. She handed them to him with a smirk, "There you go Sparky. Don't cry,"

He quickly lit up the wood and took a sip of his tea. It was exactly how he liked it. "Thanks Riza," he murmured into the cup, still a little embarrassed about being such a bubble brain.

She smiled, but didn't respond. They sat in comfortable silence until he finished his tea. He stood and went to the nearest bookshelf, browsing the titles of the vast amount of books. She'd always had a weakness for books. He glanced over at her, noting how her eyes weren't very focused, just staring off into space.

He returned to his previous activity, reading over the titles until he came to a familiar one, _Alchemy 101_. He glanced over at her quickly before looking back at the book he'd been forced to study for a huge portion of his apprenticeship to Hawkeye sensei. 'Alchemy Basics? It's odd she'd keep this one.' He thought, flipping through the pages of the familiar book. He noticed noted in the margins not belonging to him. 'I don't remember these being here. I know he had other students, but when I got this book, it was brand new'. He studied the handwriting until it clicked in his head.

"Riza!" he exclaimed, spinning to face her.

Her head snapped and her eyes immediately focused and her had quickly grabbed a gun stashed under the table. "What, Sir? Are you all right?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room for any danger.

"You're learning Alchemy?" he said with a look of shock.

Her face looked panicked for a mere second, but a blink later, he just looked calmly irritated, "Of course not, sir," she responded coolly, "My father tried to teach me first. When I showed no talent, he sought out a student," she finished, standing and walking over to him.

He relaxed for a moment before he remembered his earlier reasoning, "But, when I got this book, it was brand new!"

She took the book and put it on the shelf, turning her back on him, "I assure you, I am not learning alchemy," she said in a tone that left no room for argument.

He decided to let the subject drop as she sat back down and sipped her tea. He was about to continue rifling through her shelves, but decided against it. He noticed that her eyes were starting to glaze over once more.

He glanced at the clock that read 7:45, "I should probably head home," he said. He didn't want to go, but it was getting late and she looked beat.

Her eyes focused once more as she stood, "I suppose so, sir, "she paused a moment, "I'll drive you home. There's no way you're walking," she said already standing and making her way down the hall.

He smiled heading over to the door. He lit a small fire in his hands and tried to keep it lit as he opened the door, to be greeted by a wall of snow. It was packed in so tightly it didn't fall on him. The fire in his hand instantly went out.

"Uh, Riza", he called over his shoulder, "You may want to see this," a slightly worried look plastered on his face.

She stepped out of what he could only assume was her room with a sweatshirt and boots on. "Oh boy," she said softly, looking from the blocked doorway to Roy and back again.

He let a look of sadness cross his features before an idea popped into his head. "No worries, I'll just melt it..."

She cut him off, "Don't you dare Roy Mustang!" he looked confused until she finished. "I will not have you flooding my house with hot water! I happen to like this house and there is no way you're destroying it!"

"I'm sorry, I just, you don't seem to really want me here," he said, the words slipping out of his mouth.

Her face visibly softened, ""It's no problem, Roy. I don't mind at all. Ill camp out here and you can have my bed," she cut him off as he opened his mouth, "before you start arguing, I'm going to make some dinner," she finished, gently laying her hand on his shoulder, before continuing to the Kitchen.

He followed her, stepping over the wooden fence that he assumed was used to keep Hayate out. Her kitchen was near spotless, having a refrigerator, stove and oven, a sink, a drying rack, a toaster, and a few cabinets.

Riza was standing at the counter next to the fridge making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When she noticed him, she gave a small smile, "I didn't have time to go shopping," she murmured, answering his unasked question. She has always enjoyed cooking and such simple meal was unusual for her, not that he was complaining, of course.

They ate in silence, Riza staring off into space, and Roy enjoying his sandwich. Despite it being a mere PB&J, it tasted better than most of the foods he forced himself to consume, not being able to cook a fraction as well as his lieutenant.

By 8:00, they had finished, and she had put the dished in the sink to be dealt with later. After shutting out the kitchen light, which seemed to signal to Hayate it was time for bed, she led him to her bedroom. Contrary to the rest of the house, her room looked like a tornado had passed through. There was a dog bed in the corner, near the dresser, and stacks of books, papers, and files all over the floor.

"Sorry about the mess, sir," she said sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. She quickly created a path to the bed and motioned him over.

He grinned, "It's no problem Riza, you should know that," sitting down on the bed. "And please, stop with the 'Sir'."

She stepped over a few piles to get to the dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants for him and tossed them over to him, before getting some a par of black and white striped pajamas.

His eyebrows shot up, "Have you been expecting this? " he asked. "First extra uniforms and then pajamas,' he teased.

She flushed, "No! Its just, good to be prepared!" she finished defensively. "I'm going to shower," she said quickly leaving the room.

When she left, he laid down on the blankets, smelling a scent that he couldn't quite describe as anything but 'Riza'. When he heard the water turn on, he couldn't help but glance at the dresser. He was curious and couldn't help but want to rummage though her drawers. He was a man after all.

The bottom drawer was hardly filled, only containing an extra pair of pajamas and two pairs of sweat pants. The middle held her under clothes. He smirked 'Jackpot! Lets see what we have here'. For the most part, it was just plain black or white, but a few had lace on them, and an even fewer were in different colors. He almost took a pair of panties, but was able to resist the urge. He had more respect for her than that. The top drawer had a jewelry box, a few pictures and some smaller personal effects.

He knew from past experience that she spent ten minutes showering, give or take. He'd sifted through her drawers in four minutes, so he turned to the closet. It held mostly uniforms, but also had a few blouses and slacks, and an even smaller amount of skirts. Just as he was about to shut the door, he noticed a small string on the side of the closet and realized it opened a door. Behind the mysterious door were three beautiful dresses, as well as two dress uniforms, all in separate plastic coverings. The first was a wedding gown he could only guess had been her mother's. There was also a ruby red dress she had worn to the Hughes' Christmas party two or three years back, and a sleek black dress he'd never seen before.

He didn't realized how long he'd been staring at the wedding dress, imagining she was wearing it at their wedding, until he heard the water turn off. 'Shit! She cant find me in here!' he thought, quickly shutting the door and rushing back to the bed, pulling on the pants.

A moment later, she stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around her shoulder to help dry her hair. She grabbed a blanket out of the small closet next to the bathroom.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch, Ri. This bed is big enough to accommodate both of us," he said. When he noticed her face flushed, he rushed on, "I'm not trying to be a perv! When we were little we slept in the same bed!"

She sighed in defeat. She was far too tired to argue about such trivial matters. "Fine, but keep your hands to yourself," she mumbled, crawling in next to him and shutting out the light on the side table.

"Night, Roy," she murmured sleepily, turning on her side to face away from him. She didn't get a response. He didn't realize how tried he was until his head it the pillow. He was out like a light.

Just as she was about to doze off, she felt his arm move over her hip to rest on her stomach as he cuddled closer to her. Had she not known he had a tendency to hug his pillows at night, she would have slapped him, but he'd done that his entire life, so she let it slide. Instead, she leaned back against him and fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in years.

A/N: Review pretty please! I actually kind of like this so, I'd like to have feed back on it. I'm thinking of keeping it going, and have Roy learn things he'd never have known about Riza, including her knowledge and ability to perform basic alchemy.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So, here's CHAPTER 2! Tried to get it out before Christmas, cut it close, but oh well. Hope you like it and Happy Holidays.

A/N:2- so people who got two story alerts, I read through after I posted it last night and noticed a lot of mistakes, so, anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

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As fate would have it, Roy somehow woke first. He rolled onto his back, surprised that Riza didn't slap him, but at the same time, not. He considered staying in bed, feigning sleep so he could put his arm around her again, but Hayate sitting in the doorway, waiting to be let out, convinced him to get up. He carefully got out of bed and stepped over multiple piles of stuff as he made his was to the door.

"Come on, boy,' he said quietly, leading them to the front door. He had totally forgotten the reason he was at Riza's house until he was confronted with a wall of snow. He cursed under his breath, trying to think where the dog could do his business.

Luckily, Riza walked out of her room a moment later. She groaned and stretched as she walked over. She looked from Hayate, to the wall of snow, to Roy and back again until her mind put together the pieces.

She sighed, "Come, Hayate,' she said walking to the last unopened door.

When she didn't say anything else, he figured it was okay to go too. Inside was a small room with a boarded up door, a wicker cabinet and chair, boots and shoes, and probably the coat closet. It was probably a mudroom from the previous owners.

She opened the cabinet and pulled out, what looked to be, a cat box and put it down in front of Hayate. She turned to him, "Sir, I don't think we need to be here for this," she said, already halfway to the door.

Roy grinned and followed, taking one last glance at the closet wall. That room was too small. The house didn't have a little room sticking out the back of the house. He remembered from the day before that all the homes were perfectly rectangular. He made a mental note to inspect further later and headed to the kitchen.

His jaw dropped when he saw her going through her cabinets. The were stocked with canned food, boxed food, anything that could be left on the shelf. It was clear she hadn't cooked in ages, and really had no plans to.

She gave him a guilty look like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Uh, do you know what you want to for breakfast, sir?'' she asked softly, but he had turned away.

He ignored her as he left the kitchen, missing the sad expression taking the guilt's place on her face. It wasn't that he couldn't eat out of cans, what hurt was that she had lied to him. And so easily! He would have never guessed she was lying the other night, which also contributed to his sadness. It'd been so long since they were together as friends. He virtually knew nothing about her. Hell, he didn't even know where she'd been living for the past year or so.

Flopping down on the couch, his eyes wandered to the bookshelves, particularly, to a specific book on a specific bookshelf. There was no way he'd believe what she said the night before about learning alchemy. He remembered the flicker of panic, the familiar handwriting, and the fact that the book had been brand new. All he'd have to do is check the publishing date. With that realization came another pang to his heart. How much did she lie to him? Did she trust him at all? Was she only sticking with him to protect her father's work?

He was about to inspect the book when Riza came out of the kitchen with two omelets and glasses of water. "Here you go sir," she murmured, handing him a plate, "Onions, peppers, bacon. No cheese?" she said the last part questioningly. At his surprised look, she continued, "I know you think I don't cook anymore, but I do. The food on the shelves is for emergencies and late nights. If live on that, I'd be so unhealthy," she finished, sitting down next to him.

He was immediately comforted by the honesty in her eyes. At that moment, he knew she followed him because she believed in him. He pushed the alchemy book to the back of his mind, wanting to enjoy the omelet placed in front of him.

With one bite, he was practically catapulted to the first time she made him an omelet, all those years ago, "Mmmm, delicious! It tastes perfect!" he exclaimed, shoveling the food into his mouth.

She sighed and slapped his hand lightly, "Slow down and savor it! Don't just shove it in! That's what those cans are for! This isn't just filler food!"

He grinned sheepishly, "My bad. I just haven't eaten this well in ages!"

She laughed rolling her eyes, "Just don't get used to eating out here, " she murmured before she began eating as well.

When they finished, they quickly washed there dished and returned to the living room once more. Riza was sitting slightly slouched with her hand folded in her lap. She still looked exhausted and it was only 9:10 in the morning.

'She looks tired. When was the last time she really got a good rest?' the thought, and gave a small smile. She was so good to him, always doing what wasn't necessary for him. "Hey Ri, why don't you head back to bed," he asked.

She glanced at him tiredly, which was a sure sigh she'd give in without too much of a fight. It seemed like she was weighing out the options in her mind. He'd seen that face so many times over the years. The calculating expression she always had when there was an important choice to be made.

"You look beat and its only 9:30 in the morning. Just rest a while. I'll hang out here and read," he emphasized by going over to the bookshelf and grabbing a book.

She gave a small smile, "Alright, fine. I'll be back in an hour," she muttered, making her way to her room.

He followed her and watched as she climbed into bed, grabbing her alarm. He rushed in and snatched it, earning a confused and annoyed look.

"Oh no you don't! You're going to sleep until you wake up on your own!" he exclaimed proudly, unplugging it and putting it behind his back. She was about to when he interrupted, "Just rest, Ri. Please," he said softly.

She sighed and leaned back into the pillows. In what seemed like no time at all, she was out. 'Wow she really was tired. I need to make sure she gets more sleep. Now, what to do…' his mind began to drift, until the back room flew back to him.

He quickly snuck out of her room, closing the door quietly. When he opened the door to the little room, he was hit a mixture of cold air and the smell of dog crap. He held his noose until he got to the extra kitty litter and dumped some on the crap, stifling the foul smell.

He moves to the wall feeling for a weak spot, until he realized, 'A closet is sticking out of the house?' he shook his head, moving to the closet door. He opened the door to reveal a wall of coats, most of which he'd never seen her wear in her life. He smirked, it may work for someone who didn't know her but he did.

He felt around the back of the closet for a knob, a latch, anything, but the back of the closet was completely smooth. He was about to give up when he remembered her bedroom closet. The door to the dresses was on the side. When he felt the sides, he gave a huge grin, 'Same old Riza!' he thought to himself.

There was a small latch attached to the left wall. He lifted it and gave a slight push. When it didn't open, he pulled it and it shifted. He got it open just enough so that he could slither through into the hidden room.

He looked around and his jaw dropped. There were guns lining the wall, in boxes, on the floor, as well as ammo littering the room. She looked ready for war. He noticed a trapdoor under a large box of rifles. After he moved the box, he realized it required a key.

He glanced around halfheartedly. He knew that it wouldn't just be hanging on the wall. The door was hidden far too well to not be important. She probably had it on a chain around her neck or somewhere else on her person.

He gave a sigh, looking for any other passages. She wouldn't have trapped herself in here. She'd have a quick way out if someone came to call when she was inside. Sure enough, under a table covered with cleaning supplies was a grate partially hidden by another box of ammo.

He checked his watch. Despite Riza needing sleep, she said an hour and he didn't want to test her. With fifteen minutes left, he decided to go for it. He crouched down and moved the grate covering the passage. There was no light on the other side, but the room wasn't very well lighted either.

Taking a deep breath, he crawled in. After a few shifts, he hit a wall. He glanced behind him and mentally slapped himself. This room was right next to Riza's room. He felt around for a string or latches with no luck. He tried pushing, but the wall didn't budge, so he tried a different tactic. He felt around, his fingers tracing the surface until he touched something cold and indented. Gripping it, he slid it quietly, careful to not wake up Riza.

He let out a soft sigh of relief as the door slid away, and he was faced with Hayate's dog bed. He pulled himself through, glancing up at Riza's sleeping form. She shifted, but didn't wake up. Standing up, he brushed himself off and slid the door shut.

He quietly snuck out of her room and rushed back through the closet to fix the grate into its place. He moved to the trapdoor to inspect the lock. It was newer, with a small keyhole for a key that could be hidden just about anywhere.

He took a mental picture and went back through the closets hidden door and was back in the breezeway. Feeling the chill, he headed back to the living room to mull over his newfound knowledge. Somehow, he felt betrayed, but at the same time not. She had the room hidden away for her own safety, but still.

He sighed, shaking his head clear. Why would she tell him she had a hidden gunroom? Its not like he even needed to know. He peeked into her room again. She was out like a light. He stood there for a moment, just watching her sleep, before shutting the door. He was a bit bored. He'd already rifled through just about everything she had. 'Where would she hide that key!' he thought.

He decided, grudgingly, to actually read. Perhaps she had an interesting book. He pulled out his old alchemy book, that she claimed was hers first, and flipped through, settling down on the couch.

As he read the notes in the margin, it became clear she clearly understood more than he did. His notes were very simple, equations, important words, hers were explanations, 'It's obvious she didn't have this first. These notes are way too educated. Her father wouldn't have needed to have an apprentice' he thought with a frown.

He stood and went to get a different book. He noticed a book slightly further out. She'd probably read it last and put it back quickly. He smirked at the cover, a rather, risqué, picture of a man and woman on the beach. 'Sunset Love? Well who'd have thunk' he grinned, flipping through the pages 'that she read _those _kinds of books,' he gave a slight chuckle before replacing in on the shelf.

He checked his watch 11:00. He realized he was a bit hungry and wandered into the kitchen for a bite. Hayate followed him when he saw where Roy was headed. The poor dog hadn't eaten all day.

'Aw, Boy, you hungry?" Roy easily found the dog food next to the refrigerator and poured some into his bowl. "There you go," he said smiling as Hayate dug in. He turned and went to find something for himself. He took a piece of bread with some turkey and cheese and had a sandwich with a glass of milk.

When he finished, he went to the bathroom to relieve himself. As he washed his hands, he noticed a small cloth pouch resting on top of Riza's clothes from the day before. A leather string, clearly meant to be worn around her neck, held it together.

He cautiously opened the pouch, revealing a key, a locket without a chain, three rings, and her dog tags. The key was obviously for trap door, the locket he couldn't quite figure it out. Two of the rings seemed to form a wedding set, which made his stomach drop, 'Riza is married?' he thought sadly. The last was a class ring she received after she graduated the academy.

He inspected the wedding set, and realized that the rings were too small to fit her. They had probably been her mother's. The engagement ring was slightly flashier than she'd like, as was the intricate design on the wedding ring.

After a wave of relief washed over him, he returned to his previous task; how to copy the key. There weren't a whole lot of options, seeing as they were trapped in her house. He either had to take it and risk getting caught, 'Not in this lifetime' or do it the old fashioned way 'Where might she keep a paperclip?' he sighed, putting the contents back in the pouch. He shook his head and walked out of the bathroom.

"OOF!" he grunted, running into Riza, who at that particular moment had been wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "Sorry, Ri!" he exclaimed, lifting himself off her.

She groaned, "No problem," she muttered, trying to push him off her.

He winced at her expression and quickly stood up, offering his hand, which she took, hoisting her to her feet. Despite the fact that she'd been asleep for two hours, she still seemed tired. One day of extra sleep was clearly not enough.

She rubbed her head slightly where it hit the wall. "Uh, are you alright?" she asked with a grimace, her hand putting too much pressure on the growing bump on her head.

"I'm fine. You got the bulk of it. Are you sure _you're_ all right! Lets get you sat down," he murmured leading her to the couch.

She gave him a gentle shove, "Sir I'm fine! Really!" she said with a bit of an edge. He immediately let go of her, his expression becoming that of a kicked puppy. Her face softened, "Lets have lunch, then?" she said, "I'm starving."

His stomach rumbled. Though he'd eaten little under an hour previously, the sandwich wasn't very filling. He gave a slight blush, "Uh, yeah" he muttered.

She grinned, "Come on, then," she said, heading through the kitchen door.

He loved the look of Riza rummaging through the cupboards. It made her look so, house-wive-y. He had admitted to himself, in the past, that in a different life, he'd have married her by now. He sighed. He would have her, when he was fuehrer. Or that's what he told himself, anyway. He could never force her to marry him, no; he hoped she felt for him what he felt for her.

"Sir? Sir! ROY!" she yelled, snapping her out of his thoughts.

His head snapped up, "What? Sorry. What were you saying?"

She gave an exasperated sigh, "Really Colonel, you need to work on your concentration skills. I was asking if some spaghetti would be alright for lunch."

"Yeah, that's fine," he murmured, his mind drifting already. It was so hard to concentrate. She snapped her fingers in his face. "WHAT!" he exclaimed.

"Honestly, what are you thinking about? You're just standing there, staring at me," she asked, hands on her hips.

He smiled at her stance, "Nothing at all," he said.

She rolled her eyes, "I was afraid of that," she smirked, returning to the cupboards to grab the pasta.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "That was-" he paused. 'I suppose she's right…' he sighed and turned away, "Oh whatever," he muttered. He walked to the table and sat down so he could still look at her. He knew he'd remember this moment forever, her just being her.

He rested his chin on his palm, staring at her like a love struck teenager, going over everything he liked about her. 'She's kind, smart, loving, beautiful, talented…' the list went on and on.

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A/N: So there you go. Please Review


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, so sorry for the lack of updates, but I just got a laptop, so things should get out faster. Also this week is school vacation for me so I had extra time on my hands. Anyway, enjoy!

Also, _**Bold Italics**_ are journal entries

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They ate their pasta in relative silence. Roy just started at her like a love struck teenager. She tried to ignore him as best she could, but his blink less stares got a little awkward.

"So, Sir, what did you end up reading?" she asked, trying to start up a conversation.

He paled and tried to remember a title he saw on her shelf. A mischievous grin settled on his face. "I read this book called 'Sunset Love', though it didn't have much of a plot," he said offhandedly with a smirk.

She blushed the color of an overripe tomato. "Uh, well," she fake coughed, "I was holding it for a friend," she said unconvincingly.

He burst out laughing. "Riza, if you could see yourself!" He exclaimed. "Your face is priceless!"

She tried to look irritated, but she couldn't help by grin. His laughter was contagious. "My friend bought it for me," she paused a moment, " And it does too have a plot!"

"Alright, alright," he said, his laughter dying down. "So did you dream anything extraordinary?" he asked taking another bite of his food.

She looked away thoughtfully for a moment, "Well, I sort of did. It didn't make any sense, "She looked up, "At all,"

"Go on," Roy managed to get out around the food in his mouth, genuinely curious about what Riza Hawkeye's subconscious might come up with. Though, her ideas of unusual could have just been him doing his paperwork, rather than something creative.

She screwed up her face in concentration, "Well, I know Havoc was there. Maes and you were there too, of course. Oh and I think Rebecca was as well," her face relaxed, the dream being recalled.

"That's it?" he asked, interpreting the pregnant pause as the end of the story.

She rolled her eyes, "We were all at the bowling alley, but it was just us. There were no other customers," she paused again, "Though now that I think about it, that was probably a good thing. We were all cheating,"

He looked up, interested, "How were we cheating?" he asked.

"Well, it was like this. Maes would go up to the pins and whisper, things, until the fell down on their own accord. You and I would knock down the pins, you with a neat jet of fire and I with a bullet. Rebecca would yell at them," she glared when Roy snorted with laughter.

"Sorry, sorry. Its just, she would!" he said laughing once more. When she didn't continue, he tried to calm himself, "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Continue,"

She scratched the back of her head, "I suppose Havoc was the only one who played fairly and did well…"

This time they both burst out laughing, remembering the time the team had all gone bowling. Havoc was a horrendous bowler, scoring only 12 by the end of three rounds.

When she finally got her breath back, she wiped at her eyes, "Oh my goodness. I don't think I've laughed like that in ages,"

She stood up and picked up the plates, bringing them into the kitchen, before setting them in the sink.

Roy followed her, "Since we were kids, I suppose," he offered.

Riza nodded and turned around, "Probably. Come on," she instructed, heading back to the living room.

They sat on the on the couch, next to each other. 'I wonder if she's still ticklish…' A sly smirk took over his previously serene face as he glanced over at Riza.

"Uh, Sir?" she began, noticing his grin. She didn't get a chance to finish when he pounced. After a bit of wrestling they ended up rolling to the ground, Roy on top.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Are you still as ticklish as you were 20 years ago?"

Her eyes widened, "N-no!" she rushed out, but it was too late.

He began mercilessly tickling her and, despite her valiant efforts to push him away, he was far too heavy.

"Uncle. UNCLE!" she managed through shrieks of laughter.

Roy rolled off of her, grinning victoriously and quite proud of himself. The room was silent except for their heavy breathing.

After a few minutes, Roy sat up, still grinning madly.

"I'm thirsty," he said, receiving no response. "Ahem, I'M THIRSTY!"

Riza looked over at him, "Then get something to drink," she said offhandedly.

"Humph!" Roy was acting like a child, sulking as he got up and went to the kitchen, ignoring a smirking lieutenant.

All he saw in her refrigerator was a half-gallon of milk and some orange juice, neither of which really interest him. He made to the cabinets, finding nothing to drink. Finally, he came to a small, out of the way closet and he smiled with excitement. Inside was the biggest stash of junk food he'd ever seen, apart from his own, of course.

After a little bit of snooping, Roy Mustang struck gold. On the very bottom shelf was what seemed to be a collection akin to what might be contained in a wine cabinet. There were multiple kinds of alcohols, ranging from wine to whiskey.

He grabbed the nearest bottle. 'Vodka, and good vodka at that!' he continued pulling bottle after bottle until he had the whole collection. It seemed his lieutenant favored vodka.

"Sir, getting a drink shouldn't take so long," said lieutenant said exasperatedly walking through the door.

He grinned, "Well who've know our own Hawkeye was such a fan of Vodka?"

"These are for special occasions!" she snapped. She immediately regretted it when she saw his expression, "Mostly for the War," she explained, besides, I haven't had nearly a quarter of them,"

Roy looked up, an interesting idea popping into his mind. "Well Riza, I just thought of a fantastic idea! A wine tasting! Well, alcoholic beverage tasting…Anyway, Isn't that a amazing idea?!"

She raised an eyebrow, "But I've had them all before," she quickly covered her mouth.

He hushed her, "Regardless. Unless you'd rather read 'Sunset Love' or something, that's cool," he said nonchalantly.

She flushed, "Wine tasting it is!"

They spent the next half hour setting up and pretending that they were high society. They placed each bottle by type and had two little shot glasses to take with them.

A few hours later, it was clear that Riza liked all of the different drinks. She had two or three shots of each and only moved on because Roy wanted to.

"Alright Ri, I think we're done. Sit," said Ro steering her to the couch. She'd been spinning around and knocking things over. There was a shattered bottle a little way away that he had to clean up before she hurt herself.

"Now stay put," he said heading to get the broom.

There was a reason she wouldn't go out drinking with them. She became as reasonable as a young child and twice as hard to handle. She became very giddy and cheerful, or depressed and angry, normally the former, which explained why she had so much of the stuff.

The boom was off near the cabinet. Grabbing it, he headed back to the living room to sweep up the broken glass. Not to his surprise Riza was dancing around the living room to music only she heard. What did surprise him was the missing glass.

"Riza, where did the glass go? And it told you to stay put!" he asked as kindly as he could. He really didn't want to deal with the tears if she took his irritation to personally.

She grinned, "Here you go silly! I fixed it for you!" she held out the newly repaired bottle, perfectly repaired sans the transmutation circle that now resided on it.

He sat down on the couch, head in his hands. His worst fear was just confirmed. Riza was an aspiring alchemist.

She looked from the bottle to him and back to the bottle. "But, Roy! I fixed it!" she exclaimed, still trying to work out why he was upset.

Finally he just couldn't hold it in. all those strong emotions, anger, betrayal, sadness, felt multiplied by a hundred. He stood up and shouted, "Yes I realize that! You used alchemy! A skill you claimed not to possess!" he sat back down, the wave of emotion subsiding, "You lied to me," he practically whispered.

Her eyes widened, "But, but Roy," she stammered, tears welling in her eyes.

Roy immediately felt guilty for yelling. 'She has to have a good reason for not telling me' he told himself 'she has to'. He looked up and opened his arms to hug her, comfort her.

She sniffled, "But, I thought you'd be pleased," she murmured into his chest.

He stroked her hair, "I know. I was just shocked. Why didn't you tell me you're learning alchemy?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, "But, I'm not," she answered blankly.

His eyebrows shot up, "What do you mean you're not?"

"I've always known alchemy. I learned it from my father. He said I was supposed to be the flame alchemist, but I wasn't good enough. I didn't excel enough. I was too average," she said softly but not as blank looking. She paused and he understood the rest. Her training was discontinued when he arrived and her father didn't need her anymore. "And I guess that's it. I only know the basics. Things that you average beginner alchemist might know. But I don't think I mind anymore. I have my guns, and that's all I need."

Roy smiled and hugged her tighter, glad the truth was finally out. A few minutes later, she was perky as can be.

"Hey, Roy! Want to see something cool?!" she asked hopping off his lap and pulling him up.

He tried not to seem too eager, "Sure, why not," he said with a grin.

She rushed to her room, frantically searching for something. He watched with a small smile from the doorway as she ran around the room looking for what he hoped was the key to the trapdoor.

"AHA!" she exclaimed gleefully, holding up what seemed to be a small knife and hilt. She strapped it to her ankle and winked at his confused face, "It's a cool effect, I promise," she said with a grin as she headed to the door.

They both quickly made it through the closet and to the trap door. She leaned over and pulled the knife out. "See. Didn't I tell you?" She fiddled with the hilt until she was able to pull it out, revealing a small key. It was slightly bigger than the key in the pouch which aroused his curiosity somewhat. However, he pushed it out of his mind. 'One mystery at a time' he thought to himself.

"Well don't just stand there. Come one!" she exclaimed, leading down the steps, feeling the side of the wall. He supposed she was looking for a switch, and was proved right when she made a small noise of triumph and light flooded the area.

It was completely made of concrete, celling, floor and walls. It was basically the exact area as her house was above. There was a firing lane with targets, which was directly under the dining room kitchen bathroom and closet. The unoccupied rest of the room was lined with bookshelves and had an armchair and lamp, as well as a small side table.

"Go ahead, look around," she said, as if reading his mind, "This is where I spend most of my time,"

He immediately went for the books. All the titles had to do with alchemy or guns. He spotted one he remembered from Hawkeye Sensei's shelf. 'Advanced Elemental Alchemy' he read to himself, and his face lit up like a kid on Christmas. He sat down in the armchair and was immediately whisked away from reality.

He was brought out of his thoughts by gunfire. It seemed Riza thought she was perfectly capable of shooting despite her current incapacitated state. Though, when he came around to check on her, it seemed she could shoot well enough, he didn't want to take that chance.

"Uh, Riza, let's go back upstairs. We can come down tomorrow," he said heading up.

Of course she argued and had a bit of a temper tantrum, he was able to lure her up for bed after what was about twenty-five minutes.

He got her into bed and she began to wind down, "I'm sleepy," she murmured, snuggling under the covers and falling asleep almost instantly. He kissed her forehead and muttered a soft' I love you" in her ear, before closing the door quietly, but not before he saw Hayate crawl out from under the covers and curl up next to her. It seemed he had spent the day in her bed.

Roy checked his watch. It was only 6:30, so he decided to head back down and grab a few books so he could until he was tired. He immediately spotted the knife and hilt on the counter of the firing booth and put it in his pocket so he could lock the trapdoor when he left.

He grabbed many different alchemy books he remembered from Hawkeye Sensei's shelf. Books he was not allowed to even look at. It was clear when he opened a few of them, Riza hadn't even considered touching them. They were dusty, but in well enough condition.

Just as he was about to leave, he spotted a number of unmarked leather books lined up neatly on two shelves. After opening what seemed to be the first, if they were in any order at all, he grinned. The first page was blank except for a year, 1896, written in the center. He had found Riza's diary. He flipped to the first page, reading the date May 27, 1897; in a neat script that was clearly Riza's. She wrote in a similar font still, years later.

_**Father has instructed me to write in "you" a minimum of four times a week and to address "you" as if you could respond.**_

Roy chuckled. It was just like her to write it like that, even if she was only nine years old.

_**Apparently, he will be taking on an apprentice because I show no promise in alchemic study. He says finding this apprentice of his was akin to striking gold in a coalmine, or something like that. I'm not so sure but I'm suppose father would know better, as I've never met the boy. Father says if the apprentice has as much potential as he predicts, the boy will live here during the year, or at least school vacation for sure. Either way, it makes no difference. He sounds like an ambitious, optimist and I'm sure he'll leave once he's milked father of all his wisdom. Anyway, he is scheduled to be arriving in a mere two weeks, just before school ends. Though, father says if the apprentice stays yearlong, I'll be homeschooled, which doesn't really make much of a difference. In fact, it saves me the walk.**_

_**Anyway, I suppose that's it. Ill "talk" to you later I guess.**_

He shut the journal, pausing a moment to take in nine year old Riza's original preconceptions of him, before placing it back on its shelf. He counted nineteen other books, making one for each year of her life. He supposed the extra was for Ishbal, which was confirmed a few moments later.

He confirmed that 1908 did in fact have two books for it, most of the entries had to do with the Ishbal War, however, the War also could be found in the end of 1907 and beginning of 1909.

He flipped through 1908, where she talked about how she was slated for shipment after breaking a sharpshooting record at the academy. Three Quarters through he saw his name mentioned, and went back to read the entire entry. The date was April 13, 1908, nearly ten years ago.

_**This isn't a war. It's a Massacre! Though "you" already know that. I don't really understand why we're here anyway, but I don't think it would really make a difference if I did. I think I'm glad I can remain woefully ignorant. Ignorance is bliss they say. **_

Roy paused for a moment, recalling the dreaded events in Ishbal. The idiocy of it all. It was so unnecessary.

_**Anyway, I was stationed with Rebecca today, which was a nice. I haven't had the chance to see her in quite a while. I don't know what id do without her. Its selfish to say, but I'm glad we don't get into the action, if you understand. We're safest, really, and I think id go mad if she were to be killed, especially since she feels like my sister. Or what I imagine having a sister would feel like, anyway.**_

It was odd reading about her relationship with the banshee. Roy was sure he couldn't remember seeing her, but, after all, he couldn't remember many of the faces from Ishbal.

_**On a completely different note, I saw a familiar face today. It turns out Roy Mustang, the great Flame Alchemist, has been sent out to help knock out some of the Ishbalan troops. Maes' says he was brought in earlier this week. This was his first assignment. When he was almost killed, I could understand why, but Maes had no excuse. To say I was irritated at his lack of vigilance is a gross understatement. When I saw him next, you can be sure I gave him a piece of my mind. Of course, we laughed it off three seconds later. Perhaps our relationship is akin to a brother-sister relationship. Anyway, Maes says that they were friends, as well as roommates in early childhood and then at the academy.**_

Roy had to take a minute to process this new information. He and Riza were practically best friends! He knew that they were acquainted, but he didn't know they were that close.

_**Of course, then he started buggering me about getting a husband, and how there were plenty of men around here. Every guy I had ever talked to had become a potential candidate in his mind. He'd go on and on about stupid things like that every time I saw him. Then came the pictures. He'd run around showing everyone pictures of his beloved Gracia. I wouldn't be surprised if years from now, Gracia will be walking down the street and some random guy will come up to her and will say, "Oh, hi Gracia. You don't know me, but I knew your husband. He was always throwing around pictures of you." **_

Roy actually laughed out loud. Maes had told him a while back that the very scenario Riza had just described had, in fact, happened. "Oh Maes, old habits die hard I suppose," he said softly.

_**Everyone thinks it crazy annoying, and I do too, but I think its sweet too. Gracia really is a sweet woman. Maes says she's not much older than I am. She's actually sent me packages in the past, though "you" already know that. Maes says that when we get back, he'll introduce us. I envy him for his optimism. **_

_**By the way, did I mention its hot out?**_

That was where the entry ended. It seemed Riza never actually signed at the end. If it was found years from now, no one would really know who wrote him or her. They'd know whom she knew, and where she had been, but there would be no solid proof.

He replaced the journal on the shelf in its spot and checked his watch. It was already 10:30, much later than it felt, so he grabbed the books he had gathered earlier and headed back upstairs. He locked the trapdoor and went to the living room to read for a while.

By 11:00, fatigue had set in and Roy was exhausted. Upon entering Riza's room, he saw her clutching at her pillow and whimpering. He put the knife on the side table and he climbed in next to her. He pulled her next to him and stroked her hair lightly until the whimpers subsided. Shortly after, Roy fell into a peaceful slumber next to the woman he loved.

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So leave a review if you have a moment.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: YAY UPDATE! So this may seem to happen pretty quickly. It's very dramatic and then very light hearted :/

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Roy woke to a draft, caused by the lack of body heat from his lieutenant. With a groan, Roy rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, mulling over his discoveries from the previous night. There was so much he didn't know about his faithful subordinate.

With another groan, he was able to sit up, before laying back down in response to the pounding in his head. At that moment, he noticed a glass of water and two pills on the table next to him and thanked whatever god there was for his lieutenant. After downing to pills and water, Roy felt well enough to stand. When he finally made it out of the room, after dodging the piles of stuff on the floor and taking a moment to wonder about how he'd made it through the night before.

On the dining room table, he found a plate of eggs and bacon, as well as a neatly folded paper. He ate quickly before reading the note, which consisted of a greeting and Riza's location, in the basement. It also contained information about the snow. It had started to melt and he should be able to leave within the next few days.

Roy smiled at the lack of a signature, remembering her tendency no to sign anything unless necessary. He quickly ate before he cleaned off his plate and put it away before heading down to see his Lieutenant.

He was greeted by the smell of gunpowder and the sound of gunfire. Clearly Riza had decided to get some early morning practice in before he woke up. He stood watching her as she reloaded and fired her rifle of choice, hitting her target expertly. It was interesting to see her doing something she so passionately loved. It'd been ages since he had last bothered to watch her at the range, or even the competitions she frequented at HQ. However, he was proud of himself that he knew that she didn't often enter competition anymore, as to give other sharpshooters a chance to show their worth without her upstaging them.

It wasn't until she didn't move to reload, but instead put the gun down, that he noticed her uneven breathing and sniffles. His eyes widened as he realized that she was on the verge of tears. He heard Hayate whine and she laughed, looking over at the little dog, narrowly missing Roy, who ad backed up into the shadow of the stairway.

She gave a weak laugh, leaning against the wall of the booth, "Aren't I a piece of work, eh, Hayate?" she wiped at her eyes quickly as Hayate rubbed against her leg, "First I make a complete fool of myself, then I come down here and burst into tears," She slid down the wall into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her knees. Hayate leaned against her, trying to nuzzle her hand.

The tears streamed down her face as she finally let all the pent up stress out from the rollercoaster of feelings she'd been experiencing with her Colonel in such close quarters.

Roy felt a terrible pang in his heart. He could hardly stand to see her in her current state. So defeated. He was about to go comfort her when she began talking to Hayate again.

"Hayate," she gave a bitter laugh, "I guess you'll be the only man in my life. It's clear I'm nothing more than his plain subordinate. And who could blame him, with all those beautiful women throwing themselves at him. How could he even notice his plain, tomboyish lieutenant? I'm practically, one of the guys," she reached down to stroke his head again, trying to regain her composure.

With a final wipe of her eyes, she gave a deep sigh before standing up once more and beginning to reload her rifle, as if nothing had happened. In the back of his mind, Roy vaguely wondered if these episodes happened often. He briefly tried to convince himself that they didn't, but couldn't quite believe himself and his weak arguments.

Roy couldn't stand it anymore. He could tell that she was pushing down her feelings, trying to pretend that she didn't just lose control of them. She placed the rifle on the counter, picking up a handgun in its stead. She turned it over a few times in her hands absentmindedly.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, whispering in her ear, "I don't think you're plain at all," he felt her heart beat quicken and her back stiffen as she turned her head to look at him. She was caught completely by surprise as his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss. Her eyes widened, before she relaxed and returned the kiss.

Finally they came up for air and Roy's arm came up to brush all of her hair over one shoulder, before taking its place around her middle once more. Riza opened her mouth to speak, but her words caught in her throat as he began to kiss up and down her neck before stopping a while to suck on the juncture of her shoulder and neck. When his hands made their way under her t-shirt, she came back to reality.

"Roy, stop it," she murmured. She turned in his arms and gently pushed him away. "I cant" she began, but her words broke off as she looked into his eyes.

He instantly missed the missed the contact. He hadn't meant for it to get that far, to go like that at all. "Ri, I'm so sorry. I just got carried away," he paused, grasping for a reaction that she wasn't offering. "It's just," he looked up at her and placed a hand on the side of her face, "I've wanted to do that for so long,"

Her face immediately turned to disbelief, as if she couldn't believe was she was hearing, and he mentally slapped himself. He'd never shown her the appreciation she deserved, never put in his own time for her. Not only was he a terrible boss, he was a terrible friend.

"Well, I can see this is an uncomfortable situation," Roy began slowly, scratching his head nervously, "So, I'm just going to go upstairs," he said, turning quickly and retreated up the stairs, leaving a stunned Riza behind.

Roy scrambled up the stairs and ran to the door. He started half-heartedly banging on the door in frustration, "UGH! What is the matter with me?" he exclaimed loudly.

"Sir! I would thank you not to try and break down my front door," Riza spoke sternly.

Her behavior did nothing to soothe the irritation caused by his embarrassment. In fact, it merely egged on his irrational thought process.

He spun on her, "How can you behave like that! I practically jumped you not five minutes ago and you come up to yell at me for banging on your front door?" When she didn't respond, he returned to himself, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Riza," He hesitated, "I like you. A lot. I probably love you," he paused again thoughtfully, "No, I'm quite sure I love you. But I know I've been a piss poor friend, and I've not treated you the way you deserve to be treated" He smiled and pulled her into a gentle embrace, "I want to spend the last bit of time we have together here getting to know you again," He finished his speech, anxious to hear her response.

He stepped back and scratched the back of his head again, "So, do you think you could say something?" He asked softly, clearly uncomfortable.

Riza blinked twice then cleared her throat, "Roy, it's just, this is happening so fast!" She looked away, "I've dreamt of this for so long, of you telling me you have feelings for me, but," She trailed off.

"But what? What's stopping you?" He asked softly.

She spun around, "Because you've never cared!" She immediately covered her mouth.

He suddenly understood. Even if she was his most trusted companion, she didn't know him as a lover, or even a decent friend for that matter. She knew dates of important things and a few of his preferences, but she didn't really know what was inside him, who he really was under his aspirations. It'd been so long since they had a friendly conversation.

A huge smile broke out on his face, "Then that's what must be done. We need to get to know each other. I mean really get to know each other, on a more personal level," He paused, "Then maybe pursue a relationship," He said the last bit slowly, as if it were more of a question than a statement.

She smiled and nodded in confirmation, pleasantly surprised at how the day had progressed. Perhaps there was more to him than she thought, "An excellent suggestion, Colonel," she responded.

"Uh, uh, uh," he tutted smiling widely, "If we're really going to do this, then no titles. I'm Roy and you're Riza," He spoke sternly, but playfully.

"Alright Roy. Where do we start?" She asked, sitting on the couch and petting the space next to her.

He sat, taking her invitation, and thought a moment. There was so much he wanted to know about her, but he had no idea where to start. A topic popped into his head and before he could stop himself, he blurted it out.

"Do you want children?" he asked, immediately mentally slapping himself. Of all the topics to start out with, he picked children.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but answered the rather abrupt question. "I suppose, in a different life. Of course I could never be your standard, domestic housewife, but I wouldn't have minded a few little ones running about,"

Roy looked straight into her eyes and asked the other question he'd been considering over the last few years, "Do you regret following me?"

She answered immediately, "No," It was simple and straightforward, but he knew it was her way of conveying absolute honesty.

He couldn't help himself from grinning, even if he had wanted to. He was filled with an overwhelming feeling of joy, a joy he hadn't felt in decades, if ever, as his worst fear had been proved impossible. She didn't regret her choice, didn't regret him.

She smiled as well as she saw the happiness stretch across his face as he took in her answer. It had been years since she had seen him in such good spirits and all of his premature age lines seemed to disappear. He looked, as a man of his age should, young and carefree.

With that weight lifted from his heart, the fear that he ruined her life and she regretted following him, Roy felt like a free man. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?" he asked, doubting there was anything she didn't know about him.

The questions became much more mild. They exchanged tales from their academy days, their various preferences, and their routines.

He discovered that, despite her love for Hayate, she generally preferred cats for their less demanding nature. She would donate any money she had in her pocket to the local food pantry when she passed by, and spent her Tuesday and Thursday nights volunteering there. She bought a coffee for the homeless veteran outside of her old complex on her way to work. Her house was actually further away for HQ than her complex was, and she passed it every day on her way to work.

She learned that he considered Madame Christmas more of a mother than his birth mother and he loved playing tricks on his sisters, but she always found him out. As a teenager, he was very well behaved. In fact, Maes had gotten him in tons of trouble when they were in the Academy together. Not serious trouble, but slap on the wrist with a ruler trouble.

Finally Roy's stomach growled. They had lost track of time and it was already noon. He flushed slightly, as the noise interrupted a story Riza was enthusiastically telling about herself and Rebecca at the Academy. Roy didn't want to interrupt her, but it seemed inevitable. She laughed and stood.

"About time for lunch, then?" She said with a grin.

He blushed and murmured a quiet confirmation. He looked like a little boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Well? What'll it be?" she asked, already heading to the kitchen. She seemed so light and carefree. It was almost as if they were just regular people. Like there was no military, no bloody past, no flame alchemy. It was just two regular, run of the mill people. They could have been anyone, friends, family, or even lovers. He loved her face even more without all the premature lines, lines he knew she earned over her twenty-seven years of life.

He forced his mind to focus when he saw her slightly raised eyebrow and remembered her question, "Whatever is fine," He answered.

She grinned, "What are you thinking about? I feel like whenever I look away, you get lost in your thoughts," She pulled some bread down from a cabinet.

"Honestly, I'm thinking about you," He said with a sappy, love struck smile. He stood up and walked over to her. He was sure to alert her to his presence before wrapping his arms around her middle. He pulled her against him and rested his chin on her shoulder gently. He saw her blush but continued on with his explanation, "I think about things like how beautiful you are and how well we get along. Like how we've been together for so long. Things on those lines, but mostly, I think about what I like about you," He sighed, "I can think of millions of things I like about you. In fact, I just thought of several things this very moment," He finished off his declaration with a kiss on her cheek.

There was a comfortable silence as they stood in the kitchen together until Roy's stomach growled once more and the pair burst into laughter.

"Roy, you've got to let go. I have to finish the sandwiches," When she felt him shake his head and tighten his grip, she tried appealing to his stomach, "Aren't you hungry? Or am I making myself two?" He let go, but she could tell with slight satisfaction that he did so grudgingly.

She quickly finished the sandwiched and they sat down at the table once more, eating in silence. Roy devoured his turkey and cheese sandwich, while Riza took her time with her own.

Roy's thoughts began to drift to the next day. What would they do about their relationship once their safe haven was no more? Would it be out in the open or would it be kept quiet? Would she even want to be in a relationship once the snow melted? He didn't want to face all of the questions he was thinking of the next day when the snow would surely melt.

"Whats the matter, Roy?" Riza asked, noticing his thoughtful, yet unhappy expression.

"Are we a couple?" He blurted out.

She bit her lip slightly. The last few days had been paradise, but the snow was melting. She knew tomorrow they would return back to work. She had begun to think of them as a couple. They had fallen into the roles quite gracefully, but there was no way to tell what the future held.

"I'd like to be," He continued softly, "To be able to call you my girlfriend. To know that we are exclusive and I wont lose you," When she didn't respond, he continued nervously, "I mean, we could keep it under wraps if you'd like. I just want you to know I can't go back to the way things were before," He trailed off, waiting for a response.

She gave a small smile, "I don't think we could if we tried. Go back to the way things were before. I think," She grinned, "We are a couple. All this time, we've been together for so long. We've gone through so much together, Roy. I think we could make this work," She said, finishing the last bite of her sandwich.

Roy felt like jumping up and down, shouting with joy. Deep down, he felt the empty space in him fill. A space he'd tried to fill with drink and sex. As corny as he knew it sounded, she truly completed him. He had always felt happiest with her, even as Master Hawkeyes student.

When she stood, he did as well. He was bursting with happiness. So much good had happened so quickly he could barely contain himself. The chemistry between them was so obvious, he knew one day they would be together in the way he wanted, he just didn't expect it to be so soon. She'd always been so cautious, he was sure she would refuse for a while. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, to grow old with her.

They walked down to the basement together, talking about their relationship. It was agreed, albeit grudgingly by Roy, that at work, they would remain strictly professional and their relationship wouldn't be flashed around.

"Is it okay if I tell Maes?" He asked.

She smiled, "Of course. No doubt he'll be overjoyed. In Ishbal, before you got there, he used to bug me about getting a husband, the same way he does to you about getting a wife,"

He felt relieved when she willingly admitted she had known Maes in Ishbal. "I didn't know you and Maes got on that well,"

She laughed, Well you wouldn't know, would you? We're not as close anymore, but he saved my life. In Ishbal, he kept me going, him and Rebecca. I don't think I would have made it out without them," She seemed to get lost in her thoughts as a temporary silence fell, "Anyway," She began a minute later, "I'm going to practice a little while," She gestured to the firing lane.

He nodded and began to browse the wall of books until his eyes fell upon the journals. He decided to ask her if he could look. He'd pretty much already betrayed her trust, even if she didn't know it, but he didn't mean to a the time and he wanted to know if she'd keep them secret.

"Hey Ri, what are those ones?" He called over, pulling a few of the leather bound books from the shelves and holding them up for her to see.

She bit her lip before answering, "That's my life. My entire existence resided within those pages,"

"Oh, would you rather I didn't," He trailed off.

She looked nervous, "For now, I'd rather you didn't," She hesitated, "Just for now though,"

He smiled at her, understanding her hesitance. Allowing him to look was an extremely intimate and personal. "That's fine. I completely understand. It's still early. Really early, in this relationship,"

"Its not that I don't trust you," She blurted out, "It's just," She trailed off, unable to voice her objections fully.

"I know. I don't mind. I like you a lot Riza, and I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position. We have all the time in the world," He put the volumes back on the shelf and took out another one, settling himself into the armchair as she resumed her practice.

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A/N: Voila! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review if you have a moment :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey All! Got inspired and wrote another chapter! I also finally came up with a concept for Breda in my fic Vices, if anyone cares. Either way, here's chapter 5!

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Their companionable calm was broken by the sound of Riza's phone ringing throughout the house. There was a clattering sound accompanied by Riza's sudden movement toward to steps.

"I'll be back in a moment," before bounding up the narrow steps.

Roy stood and followed her up. He didn't have to go far, as she had a phone hooked up in the storage room. Her back was partially to him, but he could still she her serious expression.

"Yeah, the Colonel has been over here since Friday night. The snow storm stranded him here," there was a pause, and as he approached her, he saw a blush spread across her cheeks.

He was about to ask who was on the line when she spoke again.

"Rebecca!" she exclaimed, her face a now lovely deep pink.

He smirked, desperately curious about what the Banshee had said. He wrapped his arms around her, straining to her the conversation, while showering her neck with kisses.

She squirmed in his arms, but surprisingly didn't push him away, continuing on as if he wasn't there. He heard the other woman's voice clearly in his current position.

"What? You can't say it's a random question. We all know you've wanted him forever. Literally. You'd have to be blind to NOT see it," Rebecca said.

Roy recoiled upon hearing her say that so easily, suddenly reminded of his lack of attention towards his lieutenant. He went to step back, but was stopped by her free hand covering his on her abdomen. He looked at her questioningly, but she merely smiled and leaned into him. The action reassured him slightly, but hearing Rebecca say it had jarred him.

"It's not like that Bec, but I do have something to tell you. Until then, tell the guys we're fine and as soon as the snow melts, we'll all meet up. Maybe have a drink. Whatever you want. Until then, I have to go," she said quickly, all the time leaving her hand over his.

He heard a loud shriek on the line, "Good for you, Ri! Use protect-" the rest of her sentence was cut off as Riza slammed the phone onto the receiver, her face a deep red once more.

She brought the hand previously on the phone and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She turned her head slightly and sighed. "Sometime I just want to whack her. Her mind is always in the gutter," Riza mumbled.

When Roy said nothing, she looked up at him. She was taken aback by his dark expression.

She turned in his arms and hugged him, "Roy?"

"Even she knows what and ass I am," he whispered, his expression never changing.

She laughed slightly before resting her head on his chest.

His eyes widened in disbelief, "How is that funny?" he exclaimed angrily, "Why is me being a complete asshole funny?"

Her expression immediately sobered as she looked up at him, "It's not funny.

You're right. I'm sorry I laughed. It's just," she paused and looked away, "I know you're upset about the whole thing, but I've never seen you take something

Rebecca said so seriously. I didn't know it would upset you," she said quietly.

His expression softened and he held her tighter, "I just, don't like that I have a clear reputation for treating you so poorly," he mumbled, resting his chin atop her head.

He felt her smile, "Roy, you've never treated me poorly. Yu just didn't recognize my feelings for you. But that doesn't matter anymore. Everything is okay now.

When the snow melts, I'll feel sad, but I know I'll still have you. And I can tell the world that you and I are an us, and that I love you and no one can say anything, because their opinions don't matter, as long as I have you,"

He smiled, his heart soaring at her words. He gently lifted her chin and captured her lips for a heart-melting kiss. When they broke apart, she smiled at him, took his hand, and led him back downstairs.

Once he sat in his chair, she bent over and grabbed a particular leather-bound book from the journal section of the shelf. Her hand immediately went to a specific volume, and, if memory served him, it was from the year 1907.

"Roy I love you, and I trust you. I know you are condemning yourself for your past lack of interest with anything to do with me, but I have always believed in you," she walked over to him, book clutched to her chest

He shook his head. Not even an hour ago she had said she wasn't ready to show him those books, and he didn't want her to think he was pressuring her. He did feel bad about the whole situation, terrible really, but the last thing he wanted was her to feel like _she_ had something to prove.

"Ri, you don't have to. Really," he began his protest.

She smiled warmly, "But I want to. I need you to know that you shouldn't feel guilty. What's done is done. I have only loved you and have always believed in you," she sat across his lap, curling up and opening the book, flipping through, clearly looking for a particular page.

When she found it, she rested it on her knees before burying her head into his neck and staying there. When he didn't move to adjust he book, she murmured against his neck, "Roy, I want you to read it,"

He couldn't fight his curiosity any longer and finally reached down, adjusting the book so he could read it. The date read April 15 1907. The day Hawkeye Sensei died. Suddenly, Roy wasn't sure he _wanted _to read anymore. This was a very touchy subject for him. But she had trusted him enough to reveal her innermost feelings, and like hell he'd reject them.

_**Father is dead. I am lost. I am not even sure why I am writing in you, but I feel it is only fitting. I don't know how to express myself because of my father, because of my life. You are merely a tool. But I continue writing because it is what I know. And at this point, I need some form of sameness.**_

_**He died in Mr. Mustang's arms. I'm not sure what to think of that. He says he will take care of everything, pay for it, I suppose. He seems to be progressing towards his optimistic goal. In that way, he hasn't changed at all.**_

Roy paused a moment, looking at Riza out of the corner of his eyes. She hadn't moved, but she wasn't sleeping. Her breath was calm and regular, but her heart was racing.

_**I have been considering him lately. He came in search of my father's work. I am torn on the decision on whether to reveal my fathers secrets or not. I love him, and I trust him, but I don't know who he is any longer. I don't know what the past two years in the military has done to him. He's still idealistic, but there is something different. **_

_**This burden that my father has entrusted to me, has forced upon me, the gravity of his work has strengthened. Times have changed. Problems in the east have been stirring. Can I trust him with my back? With my father's secrets? **_

_**Despite everything, I still feel a strong connection to him. His ambitions are admirable. It seems as if nothing has changed when he and I spoke. He was solemn, but it was the occasion that called for it. I'm not sure if it is only my love for him that is driving my thoughts or my trust in his ability. I hope it is an equal mixture of both. As I contemplate, I feel myself moving in favor of sharing my father's research.**_

_**He hasn't returned to the house. I am not sure if he intends to stay, or leave immediately. I hope it is the former. **_

The entry stopped there, and Roy wasn't sure if he should continue to the next one. As if she could read his mind, she mumbled into his neck for him to continue. The next entry was on the next day, April 16 1907.

_**When I saw him walk up the drive yesterday, I realized my mind had always been set. I trust him. I love him. He is good, and I will do what I can to help him reach his goals. He should finish his official business by tonight, so I will tell him then and he might stay here for a while longer. **_

_**I know it will take time for him to decipher. My father told me so. I suppose in retrospect, I should tell him now, but I am selfish. I don't want him to leave yet. I have missed him and his company. **_

_**Tonight, everything changes. I will show him the tattoo, he will stay to decipher it, but I know I have made the right decision. **_

_**I received a letter from a General Grumman, who claims to be my grandfather. He has offered to guarantee a spot for me in the military academy. Between his current position in the military and my fathers grudging past position, combined with my academics, It will not be a problem. I have sent a letter accepting his offer. I am going to join the military. There's not much else. I have always been a good shot with my father's gun from his short time in the service. Perhaps I will even be teamed with Mr. Mustang, but that is unlikely. **_

_**Truly, I just need to get away, and the only way that will happen is if I get out of this small town. I'll start over, fresh. The first step is showing him the secrets to flame alchemy.**_

There was a two-line break on the page, signifying a different time the same day. Roy stopped to process everything. She had never mentioned receiving a letter from Grumman, or even her ability to wield a gun. The trust she held for him blew his mind. Even then she had loved and trusted him.

_**As predicted he is going to stay longer. It was strange, revealing the secret I have held for so long. It was an indescribable sensation, knowing that the burden I carried had been relieved of me. I knew my father had planned on it being Mustang from the day he mentioned his impending arrival eight years ago.**_

_**I asked him if I could trust my back to him, and he assured me I could. With those words, and the sincerity behind them, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to reveal the array to him. With him, I felt safe.**_

_**His reaction upon seeing the array was awe mixed with rage. His anger had far overreached anything I could have predicted. I know for sure that my decision was correct even more.**_

_**He touched it with such a light pressure, that I could barely tell he was touching me. He behaved in such a gentlemanly manor, I feel myself falling in love with him all over again. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't looking foreword to the next session.**_

_**On another note, despite the fact that I mailed my response just yesterday, General Grumman responded right away and I received a response this morning. I suppose its just another perk of being a General in the Amestris State Military.**_

_**He says he has a spot for me and I should arrive in the city by June 30**__**th**__** and included money for a train ticket. The letter says that all I will need is myself at the train station on June 30 1907. I am allowed to bring a few personal items and a suitcase of civilian clothes, but that is all. Apparently having a lot of things is detrimental at the academy.**_

_**I am not sure if I want to wait another two months. As soon as Mr. Mustang is finished, id like to head to the city, perhaps get a job and a flat until June 30**__**th**__**. I don't want to rely solely on the General. I'd like to see the city as it is, completely uncensored and as unbiased as possible.**_

_**Truly, the only thing I will miss is The safety of home, but at the same time, that is why I want to leave. All I know for sure is that I will not regret anything from here on. I will never regret sharing the array with Mustang, I will never regret leaving this place, I will never regret anything.**_

Roy shut the journal, not wanting to read anymore, so he could process the information. He knew that if she regretted one thing; all the lives she took in Ishbal. Despite this, he was touched that she would share her feelings like this.

The knowledge that she had always trusted him gave him a feeling unlike any other. He felt like he could take on the world, fueled solely on her faith in him. His heart swelled with love for the woman in his arms. She had always been there, and always would.

He felt her shift on his lap, moving to get up. He quickly put his arm across her and held her on his lap. She seemed to understand his thoughts and rested her head on his chest again.

"Roy?" She murmured into his shirt.

He looked down at her, "Yes?"

"I love you," She said softly, turning her head to look at him.

Those three words meant everything to him. They were filled with such emotion he could hardly contain himself. He leaned down and kissed her, trying to convey to her everything he felt, but couldn't put in words.

They broke apart and, after what seemed like an eternity, she got off his lap, grabbing the book to replace it on her shelf. He remained sitting, watching her graceful movements. She managed to appear to glide across the dimly lit floor back to the bookshelf. Even in the loose t-shirt and pajama pants she wore, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Before he could stop himself, he worded his thoughts, "You are beautiful," he said just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"E-excuse me?" she stuttered. She'd never been called beautiful in her entire life. Pretty, attractive, even hot a few times, but never beautiful. That one word conveyed emotion and sincerity behind it. His comment coaxed a deep blush to appear on her cheeks, bright enough for him to see even in the poor light.

He smiled and stood, "I said, you're beautiful," he stepped closer, his eyes practically glowing with intensity. "You move so gracefully with so much purpose, but never losing your elegant beauty," he continued all the while backing her into the wall, "Its amazing, how you manage to retain your beauty at all hours," he finished trapping her between himself and the wall.

He leaned in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, trying to convey his feeling through that one action. He'd never been able to express his feeling through words, so he conveyed them through actions instead.

"R-Roy," she practically whimpered as his lips descended on her neck, making her moan and she groaned when his hands moved to her hips, rubbing small circles on the slightly exposed flesh. Her reaction to him touching her surprised him. Her skin was extremely sensitive, as indicated by her reactions, and he wanted to see how else she would respond.

His hands began to slide upwards when they were pulled back to reality by the phone ringing once more. At first he ignored it, but the caller was insistent, and the phone continued to ring, despite him attempting to will it to stop.

Roy groaned in frustration, taking a few steps back and turned to the stairway, attempting to will the phone to stop ringing, to no avail. Riza was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and breathing heavily, her face flushed in an adorable way. He couldn't help but smirk. He'd gotten her all worked up with just a few words and one passionate kiss. He didn't realize how sensitive she was to skin on skin contact.

He didn't want to break the silence, but the sound of the phone was driving him insane! "Ri, I'll be right back. That ringing is driving me mad,"

She nodded silently, seeming to have calmed down, the flush had faded to a light pink and her breathing had slowed.

He ran up the stairs and finally picked the phone up off the hook, "Hello?" he said, trying to contain his irritation.

"Is this Papa Aramonos Pizza Parlor?" The voice sniggered, a voice Roy immediately recognized.

"HAVOC! GET OFF THE LINE! IF YOU CALL HERE AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY FRY YOU!" he shouted into the phone before slamming it onto the receiver.

"Geez, what did that phone ever do to you, Roy?" Came Riza's voice near the trapdoor.

He grinned, turning to face her, "Its ringing interrupted me. I was really enjoying making you squirm," he said with a smirk taking over his face.

She blushed again. Her pink tinted face was becoming one of his favorite results. It was adorable that she was so embarrassed to talk about such things, even in the privacy of her own home.

"Yeah, well, its nearly three and I'm starving," she mumbled, acting as if what he said didn't hold any of the implications it did. He decided to let it slide, for now, and followed with a mischievous grin as she rushed out of the room.

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A/N: Yay! Chapter 5 COMPLETED! Lol. Anyway, the snow is almost melted. I know there will be at least two more chapters. Until next time!


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